MacBook Pro 15" Retina Display Mid 2012 Repair Manual

Installing MacBook Pro 1 5" Retina Display Mid 201 2 Upper Case Assembly

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Installing MacBook Pro 15"
Retina Display Mid 2012 Upper

Case Assembly

Written By: Jake Devincenzi

f TOOLS:

PARTS:

MacBook Pro and Air 5-Point Pentalobe
Screwdriver (1)

Plastic Opening Tools (1)

MacBook Pro 15" Retina Upper Case
Assembly (1)

Spudaerd)

• T5 Torx Screwdriver (1)

SUMMARY

The battery, keyboard, trackpad, and upper case are all stuck together. If you break one of
these components, you will need to replace the entire assembly. Follow this guide to do so.

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Installing MacBook Pro 1 5" Retina Display Mid 201 2 Upper Case Assembly

Step 1 — Lower Case

• Remove the following pentalobe
screws securing the lower case to
the MacBook Pro with Retina
display.

♦ Eight 3.0 mm

# Two 2.3 mm

Step 2

• Lifting from the edge nearest the
clutch cover, lift the lower case off
the MacBook Pro.

• Set the lower case aside.

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Installing MacBook Pro 1 5" Retina Display Mid 201 2 Upper Case Assembly

Step 3 — Battery Connector

• Peel back the warning label
covering the battery connector.

Step 4

• Using the flat end of a spudger, gently pry the battery connector straight up out of its
socket on the logic board.

• Bend the battery cables back and out of the way, ensuring that the battery connector
doesn't accidentally make contact with the logic board.

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Installing MacBook Pro 1 5" Retina Display Mid 201 2 Upper Case Assembly

Step 5 — AirPort/Camera Cable

• Use the tip of a spudger to pry the
three AirPort antenna cables
straight up off of their sockets on
the AirPort board.

Step 6

• Use the tip of a spudger to push
the camera cable connector out of
its socket on the logic board.

• Be sure to push parallel
to the board, pushing first
on one side, then the other to
"walk" the connector out of its
socket.

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Installing MacBook Pro 1 5" Retina Display Mid 201 2 Upper Case Assembly

Step 7

• Insert the flat end of a spudger underneath the rubber heat sink cover on the right fan.

• Slide the spudger underneath the length of the cover, releasing the adhesive.

• Lift the cover and flip it back so that you can access the cables underneath.

Step 8

• Use your fingers to pull the AirPort/Camera cables up off the fan.

• The cables are adhered to the fan, so peel them up carefully to prevent ripping
any.

• Carefully de-route the cables from the plastic cable guide.

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Installing MacBook Pro 1 5" Retina Display Mid 201 2 Upper Case Assembly

Step 9 — Rubber Hinge Covers

• Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the rubber hinge covers up off the left and right hinges.

Step 10 — Display Assembly Screws

• Remove the two 3.1 mm T5 Torx screws securing the aluminum hinge covers to the upper
case.

• Remove the two aluminum hinge brackets from the MacBook Pro.

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Installing MacBook Pro 1 5" Retina Display Mid 201 2 Upper Case Assembly

Step 11 — I/O Board Cable

• Using the flat end of a spudger, pry the I/O Board connector straight up out of its socket on
the logic board.

• In a similar fashion, remove the I/O Board connector from its socket on the I/O Board.

• Remove the I/O Board cable from the MacBook Pro.

Step 12 — Right Fan

♦ Remove the single 2.9 mm T5 Torx
screw securing the AirPort card to
the logic board.

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Installing MacBook Pro 1 5" Retina Display Mid 201 2 Upper Case Assembly

Step 13

• Grasp the side of the AirPort card and pull parallel to the logic board, removing the AirPort
card from the MacBook Pro.

Step 14

• Use the tip of a spudger to flip up the retaining flap on the right fan ribbon cable ZIF
socket.

• Be sure you are prying up on the hinged retaining flap, not the socket itself.

• Gently pry up the right fan ribbon cable from the logic board.

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Installing MacBook Pro 1 5" Retina Display Mid 201 2 Upper Case Assembly

Step 15

• Remove the following three screws
securing the right fan to the logic
board:

♦ One 4.4 mm T5 Torx screw

One 3.9 mm T5 Wide Head Torx
screw

One 5.0 mm T5 Torx screw

Step 16

• Lift and remove the right fan out
from the MacBook Pro.

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Installing MacBook Pro 1 5" Retina Display Mid 201 2 Upper Case Assembly

Step 17 — Left Fan

• Use the flat end of a spudger to lift
the rubber heat sink cover up off
the left fan.

Step 18

• Remove the following three screws
securing the left fan to the logic
board:

♦ One 4.4 mm T5 Torx screw

One 5.0 mm T5 Torx screw

One 3.9 mm T5 Wide Head Torx
screw

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Installing MacBook Pro 1 5" Retina Display Mid 201 2 Upper Case Assembly

Step 19

• Use the tip of a spudger to flip up the retaining flap on the left fan ribbon cable ZIF socket

• Be sure you are prying up on the hinged retaining flap, not the socket itself.

A

• Starting at the top of the cable, slide a plastic opening tool under the left fan cable to free it
from the logic board.

• Use caution when freeing the cable, as it is strongly adhered to the logic board.

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• Lift the left fan out of the device.

Step 20 — SSD

♦ Remove the single 3.1 mmT5Torx
screw securing the SSD to the
logic board.

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Installing MacBook Pro 1 5" Retina Display Mid 201 2 Upper Case Assembly

Step 21

# Slightly lift the rightmost side of the SSD and firmly slide it straight away out of its socket
on the logic board.

Step 22 — I/O Board

• Use the tip of a spudger to flip up the I/O board data cable lock and rotate it toward the
battery side of the computer.

• Use the flat end of a spudger to slide the I/O board data cable straight out of its socket on
the logic board.

• Do not lift up on the I/O board data cable, as its socket is very fragile. Pull the
cable perpendicular to the face of the logic board.

A

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Installing MacBook Pro 1 5" Retina Display Mid 201 2 Upper Case Assembly

Step 23

♦ Remove the two 3.1 mm T5 Torx screws securing the I/O board to the logic board.

• Carefully lift the I/O board and remove it from the lower case.

Step 24 — Logic Board Assembly

• Use the flat end of a spudger to pry
the headphone jack connector up
from its socket on the logic board.

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Installing MacBook Pro 1 5" Retina Display Mid 201 2 Upper Case Assembly

Step 25

• Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the left speaker connector up and out of its socket on
the logic board.

• Use the tip of a spudger to pry the right speaker connector up and out of its socket on the
logic board

• Be sure to pry on the cable head, and not on the socket itself. Prying on the socket
may cause it to separate from the logic board.

A

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Installing MacBook Pro 1 5" Retina Display Mid 201 2 Upper Case Assembly

Step 26

• Use the flat end of a spudger to flip up the retaining flap on the keyboard ribbon cable ZIF
socket.

• Be sure you are prying up on the hinged retaining flap, not the socket itself.

• Use the flat end of a spudger to pull the keyboard ribbon cable out of its socket.

A

Step 27

• Use the flat end of a spudger to pry
the battery indicator connector up
from its socket on the logic board.

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Installing MacBook Pro 1 5" Retina Display Mid 201 2 Upper Case Assembly

Step 28

• Use the flat end of a spudger to pry
the keyboard backlight connector
up from its socket on the logic
board.

Step 29

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• Use the tip of a spudger or your
fingernail to flip up the retaining flap
on the microphone ribbon cable ZIF
socket.

• Be sure you are prying up
on the hinged retaining flap,
not the socket itself.

A

• Pull the microphone ribbon cable
out of its socket.

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Installing MacBook Pro 1 5" Retina Display Mid 201 2 Upper Case Assembly

Step 30

• Use the tip of a spudger to pry the display data cable lock and rotate it toward the DC-ln
side of the computer.

• Pull the display data cable straight out of its socket on the logic board.

• Do not lift up on the display data cable, as its socket is very fragile. Pull the cable
parallel to the face of the logic board.

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Step 31

• Use the flat end of a spudger to
carefully pry off the rubber screw
cap on the raised screw head near
to the MagSafe 2 connector.

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Installing MacBook Pro 1 5" Retina Display Mid 201 2 Upper Case Assembly

Step 32

• Remove the following six screws
securing the logic board to to the
upper case:

♦ One 2.6 mm T5 Torx screw

Two 5.8 mm T5 Torx screws

One 3.8 mm T5 Torx screw

One 5.2 mm Raised Head T5
Torx screw

♦ One 3.5 mm T5 Torx screw

Step 33

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• Lifting from the side nearest the battery, rotate the logic board toward the top of the
MacBook Pro.

• Using the flat end of a spudger, carefully push the MagSafe 2 connector out of its socket
on the bottom of the logic board.

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Installing MacBook Pro 1 5" Retina Display Mid 201 2 Upper Case Assembly

Step 34

• Remove the logic board assembly
from the MacBook Pro.

Step 35 — Upper Case Assembly

• Remove the single 2.6 mm T5 Torx screw securing the left rubber hinge cover in place.

• Slide the hinge cover out of its bezel, then lift it up and out of the device.

• The screw in the right hinge cover should already have been removed.

• Slide the right cover out of its bezel, then lift it out of the device.

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Installing MacBook Pro 1 5" Retina Display Mid 201 2 Upper Case Assembly

Step 36

• Insert the edge of a plastic opening tool underneath the upper microphone.

• Slide the blade of a plastic opening tool along the bottom of the upper microphone,
releasing the adhesive.

• Be careful when releasing the adhesive holding the cable down, as these cables
have been known to tear easily.

• In a similar manner, release the adhesive underneath the lower microphone.

• Lift the cable out of the device.

A

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Installing MacBook Pro 1 5" Retina Display Mid 201 2 Upper Case Assembly

Step 37

• Remove the two 4.0 mm T5 Torx screws securing the MagSafe DC-ln board to the upper
case.

• Slide the MagSafe DC-ln board towards the right free it from its recess within the upper
case.

• Lift and remove the MagSafe DC-ln board out of the upper case assembly.

Step 38

• Remove the two 3.6 mm T5 Torx screws securing the headphone jack to the upper case
assembly.

• Slide the headphone jack away from the upper case.

• Lift and remove the headphone jack out from its recess in the upper case.
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Installing MacBook Pro 1 5" Retina Display Mid 201 2 Upper Case Assembly

Step 39

• Remove the following three screws securing the left speaker to the upper case:

♦ One 5.6 mm T5 Torx screw

• One 6.9 mm T5 Torx screw
One 2.6 mm T5 Torx screw

• Lift the left speaker out of the upper case and set it aside.

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Installing MacBook Pro 1 5" Retina Display Mid 201 2 Upper Case Assembly

Step 40

• Remove the following three screws securing the right speaker to the upper case:

♦ One 5.6 mm T5 Torx screw

♦ One 6.9 mm T5 Torx screw
One 2.6 mm T5 Torx screw

• Remove the right speaker from the MacBook Pro.

Step 41

♦ Remove four out of the six 5.3 mm
T8 Torx screws securing the
display to the upper case.

• We purposely have you
leave two screws attaching

the display to the upper case to aid
in future steps.

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Installing MacBook Pro 1 5" Retina Display Mid 201 2 Upper Case Assembly

Step 42

• Open the device between 90 and 100 degrees, then rest it on its side.

♦ While supporting both halves of the device with one hand, unscrew the upper 5.3 mm T8
Torx screw.

• Repeat the same process for the identical bottom screw.

• Be sure to hold the display and upper case together with one hand. Failure to do so
may cause the freed display/upper case to fall, potentially damaging each
component.

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Installing MacBook Pro 1 5" Retina Display Mid 201 2 Upper Case Assembly

Step 43

• Grip both halves of the device. Firmly put one hand on the top center of the upper case
(left) and one in the same place on the display assembly (right).

• While holding the display assembly in place, slowly push forward on the upper case,
releasing it from the display assembly.

Step 44

• Upper case remains.

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

This document was last generated on 2013-02-20 03:37:44 AM.

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Installing MacBook Pro 1 5" Retina Display Mid 201 2 Upper Case Assembly

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